I Just Won 1.3 Billion

I use to feel guilty for dreaming about what I might do if I won the lottery. I’ve entered the Powerball each time it’s ever hit a record milestone. I think this will be my 3rd drawing to enter. If I win, I will have a 33% win rate that I would take to the bank. In anticipation of the worlds largest payout ever, an anticipated $1,300,000,000, I went out and bought a ticket for tonight's’ drawing. In doing so I couldn’t help but consider what I might do if I all of a sudden had benjamin’s comin’ out the yin/yang.

In light of my impending victory, I think it’s okay to dream. Of course naysayers can go to extremes to talk about how the lottery makes poor people poorer and how 1,000 winners would do more for the economy than one winner. Perhaps. But perhaps dreaming really solidifies what we, as individuals hold most dear. So…when I win my 1.3 Billion I’m not afraid to admit this is how it would be spent.

Let’s work with the big numbers. Let’s say the lump sum payout is $600,000,000. Then let’s just say after taxes, lawyers, financial planners, and my tithe I have $240,000,000 in my bank account. I enjoy work too much so I would stay with the day job temporarily and transition away. So let’s just dream…here’s my top ten thoughts as I think them.

I’m not affording myself the opportunity to edit or change my mind on these. This is raw, and on reflection, there is use of the word “BUY”. You do the same, don't overthink it, just let your thought process flow and see what surfaces.

#1. Pay off debt

#2. Buy a country club membership and a brand new set of Golf Clubs (I’m not good enough to even know what kind of clubs I would get)

#3. Buy some acreage and begin plans for building a custom home. I’ve always wanted a garden inside the house. With $240M I bet somebody could do that for me.

#4. Buy RV and road trip with family. Never been to Idaho, Wyoming, all those states up that way.

#5. Give offerings to family, friends, and organizations.

#6. Realize the business aspirations of EVERYMAN ahead of pace to change more lives more quickly.

#7. Adopt at least 6 more children. That should only cost about $150,000 which should allow the wife and I to help many others adopt.

#8. Run for political office

#9. Pour money into Diabetes & Lung Transplant Research

#10. Buy season tickets to the OKC Thunder

Feel free to hold me to this. So here’s the challenge. Can you put aside your ego and snakiness and allow yourself to blue-sky-think? What would you do with 1.3 Billion? What does it say about you? Maybe you’re already a winner.

manUP

-J

1 Response

Jonathon Swinney

March 24, 2016

There is a research group developing a machine that can purify ocean water so it is clean drinking water, and they are planning to build thousands of them on boats that can be parked off of the cost of countries that don’t have clean water and can sustainably provide it. So if I won’t $1.3B I would fund that into production I think. I mean after the whole providing for my family of course. Or, I would start my dream, which is to open up a ranch of sorts where I can hire and rehabilitate the homeless by giving them a place to live and work maintaining the campus, then use the facilities to tutor and mentor at risk kids through academic and athletic avenues. Maybe both, it’s a ton of money haha